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Anonymous

Posted March 27, 2003

A good basis for understanding why we are at War with Iraq

I noticed a professor of sociology had very bad reviews for this book. WOW! a professor of sociology. All he had to do was tell me his occupation; from there i could have just guessed his review. 'Below idiotic' please...All i have to say is 'those that can't do...teach'

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Anonymous

Posted April 22, 2003

A mighty let down by an otherwise respected author

If being a sociology teacher somehow precludes one's perspective from being legitimate, I hope, being a student of history, my input will be a little more respected...but I have a feeling it won't. They say the man who reads only one book is much more dangerous than the man who reads none. Some sentimental cheerleaders for this book are proof of this. This book, released during these times, is meant to appeal to those who, instead of needing objective and scholarly convincing, only need a well known personality to solidify their compulsive patiotism. Bill Kristol, no doubt, is a very respectable columnist and Harvard teacher who really has let me down this time. Although I usually disagree with him, I usually find his political analysis well informed and cogent. In 'war over Iraq', Kristol sets out to 'prove' the need for invasion, in what can essentially be considered nothing more than a propaganda pamphlet, by making an extremely incomplete and sloppy case for war. Although the author addresses the history of U.S. relations with Hussien, and admits to alterior motives as the basis of American foriegn policy in the region, Kristol makes the wishful assumption that somehow this history does not reflect on the fundamental American attitude toward the rest of the world and that, amazingly, a future policy of American global aggression and geopolitical coersion will suddenly be based, as if isolated from the political and human nature of those that came before Bush, on the ideological altruism of an administration intent on making the world safe for freedom and democracy. Kristol makes little attempt to hide the extreme centrism that underlies his thesis. The basis of his argument is this: America is better than everyone else and, thus, our ideas and policies are what the world needs - they just don't know it yet. In order to make the world safe for peace and stability, we need to maintain American military and political preeminance at any cost. We cannot allow any nation, friend or foe, to compete with the America, especially those nations who's policies are not consistant with our interests. Kristol makes a token attempt to justify this attitude by invoking Sept. 11th and detailing how bad a guy Saddam is...revealing a considerable gulf between his evidence and conclusion to anyone who approaches the book with stoic and informed objectivity. Indeed, this book is meant to convince rather than to inform. Anyone who thinks this book lays out a comprehensive backdrop of current events is either uneducated or is comforting themself intellectually by consulting a text so extremelly selective of historical examples as to justify their bumper sticker patriotism. If you read this, do yourself a favor and read up on the history of this topic first. Do NOT go into it without a historical knowledge base.

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Anonymous

Posted March 25, 2003

War Over Iraq

The War Over Iraq is a well written pro- American book. Kristol and Kaplan summarize nine reasons throughout the book for why America should attack Iraq.

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Anonymous

Posted February 3, 2003

Hard hitting, quick read, very timely

The authors see Geroge Bush moving to a strong internationalist position which resembles Truman, Kennedy and Reagan. They make a case that this is the correct direction for American foreign and defense policy and one that favors the removable of Saddam from power.

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Anonymous

Posted March 18, 2003

Clear Vision

Thesis is concise, tightly constructed, and sobering. A must read for anyone desiring a better understanding of the policies and issues that have precipitated the latest crisis in Iraq. Kaplan and Kristol masterfully articulate the viability and necessity of pre-emptive doctrinal policy.

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Anonymous

Posted March 20, 2003

Truthseekers read here!

If you've ordered this book and read it, then you've taken the first step to freeing your mind from all the garbage the media suffocates us with. And if you swallow these eye-opening books like I do then I earnestly recommed anything by Noam Chomsky, as well as these two books, which will no doubt enlighten you about the Bush administration and the war in Iraq: (1) War Plan Iraq: Ten Reasons Against War with Iraq (Milan Rai); and (2) STUPID WHITE MEN (Michale Moore). And if you love a good laugh, here's a satire on Bush and the media: The little samba boy (Jay Singh). The truth is out there.

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Anonymous

Posted March 8, 2003

Dangerous, opinionated, cave-age

One of the most frightening thesis predicated on a pre-cold war 19th century thinking. The author argues for dictatorship of the powerful in place of the dictatorship of the primitive. He wishes to propagate values by pummeling the very ones he attempts to promote. Racist. Below idiotic.

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